By Mdadisi Mmoja
Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei has disclosed the government will submit Mr Raila Odinga’s Curriculum Vitae for consideration in his quest for the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC). The government has also unveiled an empirical campaign machinery to push for Mr. Odinga’s candidature.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who doubles up as the Foreign Affairs and Diaspora CS, announced in June that a campaign secretariat was already putting the application documents in order, including translating Oding’s resume into the six AU languages. The resume was translated into six AU languages, that is, French, English, Kiswahili, Arabic, Portuguese, and Spanish, ahead of its submission on the August 6, 2024 deadline.
Mr Odinga’s candidature faces competition from several notable candidates, including Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Somalia’s former Foreign Minister Fawzia Yusuf Adam, Seychelles’ former Vice President Vincent Meriton, and Mr January Makamba, Tanzania’s former Foreign Minister and a prominent member of the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). Mr Makamba was sacked from the influential position by President Suluhu last week.
The race for the AUC chairmanship is expected to be highly competitive, with each candidate bringing a wealth of experience and support from their respective countries. The successful candidate will take over from the current chairperson, Chad’s Moussa Faki, whose term ends next year.
